Cancer is an important public health problem that ranks second after cardiovascular diseases among deaths with known causes in the world and our country. At the same time, it causes very heavy losses in the economy and workforce of countries due to high treatment costs. However, considering that there are cancer types where treatment is possible and quality of life can be increased when diagnosed early, the importance of prevention increases even more.
The "1-7 April Cancer Week" activities, which are organized to use the results obtained with the advancement of technology and medicine more effectively and intensify the public information/awareness/awareness activities, have a very important place in the fight against cancer. However, keeping in mind that information, awareness-raising, and awareness-raising activities are not limited to one week of the year, but continued throughout the year will provide important gains in the fight against cancer.
The burden of cancer disease is increasing day by day around the world. According to the 2018 data from the World Health Organization, while 18.1 million new cancer cases were detected on a global basis in the said year, 9.6 million deaths occurred due to the disease. While it is expected that one out of every five men and one out of every six women worldwide will develop cancer during their lifetime, it is predicted that one out of every 8 men and one out of every 11 women will die from cancer.
Among the environmental factors, cancers develop due to 90% environmental and 10% genetic factors; Today, it is known that it can be prevented by 30-50% by preventing tobacco use, alcohol consumption, being overweight and/or obese, and exposure to infections.
The importance of prevention becomes even more important, especially when considering the types of cancer that can be prevented from occurring, death can be prevented by screening, and treatment can add a lot to the quality of life when diagnosed early.
Cancer; is a malignant disease that occurs as a result of the uncontrolled and irregular proliferation of some abnormal cells that appear in an organ or tissue of the body. These proliferating cells (cancer cells) come together and form a mass called a tumor.
Smoking is the most important preventable cause of cancer worldwide.
Many studies conducted to date have demonstrated the harmful effects of tobacco use on human health, based on strong epidemiological data. Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide. Numerous scientific studies conducted to date show that half of the tobacco users die due to a tobacco-related disease.
Most tobacco-related death rates are due to Atherosclerotic Heart Disease (ASCH), Cancer, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Tobacco use increases the risk of many other acute and chronic diseases, including cancer, in many organs other than the lung.
Cancers Associated with Tobacco Use; The relationship between tobacco use and all types of cancer has been demonstrated. Tobacco use is a risk factor for 6 of the 8 diseases that cause death most frequently. Ischemic heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases (CVO), lower respiratory tract infections, chronic lung diseases, tuberculosis, and all lung cancers cause smoking-related deaths. Despite numerous scientific data on the harms of tobacco use and all efforts to control and prevent addiction, tobacco use remains one of the most important preventable causes of death and public health problems in our country and the world.
For this reason, information and training will be important in terms of raising awareness about all kinds of cancer, especially during cancer week, and in terms of quitting decisions and motivations of those who have a smoking habit.
